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University
to join in World Autism Day event April 2

Shippensburg
University’s Old Main tower will again be bathed in blue April 2 as part of the
Light It Up Blue campaign on World Autism Day.

Light It Up Blue, in its fifth year, is a global initiative to help raise
awareness about autism, according to
the organizing group Autism Speaks. Iconic landmarks around the world will be
blue to show their support, the group said. The university has previously
participated in the event.

Autism
and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are general terms for a group of
complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in
varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal
communication and repetitive behaviors. They include autistic disorder
(sometimes referred to as “classic autism”), Rett syndrome, childhood
disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise
specified and Asperger syndrome.

Autism
statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identify around one in 88 American children as on the autism spectrum, according
to Autism Speaks’ website. An estimated one out of 54 boys and one in 252 girls are
diagnosed with autism in the U.S. ASD is estimated to affect
more than 2 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide.